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Saturday, March 17, 2012

Twentieh Day of Lent:It's all gping according to the plan

3/16

Steve is wanting to settle details on tomororw’s planned action at Zucotti Park. As well as where we stand on a number of different church and occupier projects. Chris, Requiem and Stan are chatting outside. Proud of last night’s production of over 400 t-shirts for Riverside Church and their Water is Life project. It’s the screen shop’s first real job. Stan is thinking about a t-shirt design for School is a gateway drug. And all the different ways you could take that.

Teddy is reflecting on life. Ups and downs, his personal growth over these months. The natural frustrations of living with a group of people. Possible after effects of a concussion. He’ll take the time to bartend for us Sunday night.

Two production people for Don (director? lighting?) come in to check things out for their planned backers’ audition showcase coming up next Wednesday night. Looks like it could come together.Meanwhile, Matthew is wrapping up another rehearsal.

I’m taken down and given a tour of the t-shirt factory. It’s an impressive sight. Took alot of hard work over the course of the night to do this and it is impressive. Chris needs a find a laundromat where you don’t have towash first to run the shirts through and finish the job.

Marc is looking for a permanent place to store some sound equipment and maybe create a recording studio. A modest one. Sandy walks in wondering how the t-shirt project is going and i direct her downstairs to see what still needs to be done.

One of the Times Square Playwirghts actors, Robert, wants to discuss a staged reading of his own play concerning descent into homelessness. Robert performed in our gala and was also a most gracious bar tender.

I hear a commotion and Rafael comes bounding in. He’d found someone upstairs goign through things. When he questioned him, the guy jetted, as they say. Checking out the flier the police left, he looks a lot like the guy who’s been robbing churches lately. Rafael inititates a parenthetical conversation wanting to check out how much the coop has paid in utilitities charges so far as opposed thow much was promised. We’ll have to check that out.

I need to go meet Jessica and Mary to talk on WBAI radio at the Left Forum. About our event tomorrow. And then catch up with John H at the opening of Bella’s (playwright for our gala play) Angel Play, her own take on the rlaltionship between the angel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary.

Late, when I come back to pick up my stuff, I’m almost happy to see George back. Seems like he drops in about once a month, just to see what’s going on.

So, Bob, (he knows my first name) how’s it feel to be under martial law?

Well, I’ve had my shre of police visits, been called into the station...

December 31st he did it, Dumbo, Dumbobama...(see those elephant ears?) the NDA, the National Defense Act. Militias, posses comitatis, all that shit. He says, nah I ain’t ever gonna use it, trust me. Nobama, trust me, shit!

I nod. Hey, you a pastor, right? Ain't it biblical what’s goin on now, ain’t it biblical?

George, you goin apocalyptic on me?

Apocalyptic? Shit. people homeless. people got no jobs. Ain't got no prospects. That ain’t apocalyptic enough for you? Apocamothfuckinlyptic enough for them!

And so we go through the Bible from Leviticus to Paul. Like I tell my students in Newark, quoting Gutierrez, there is at the heart of the Bible a concrete plan that would make poverty impossible were it followed. George knows all about the sabbatical year laws, the demands of the jubilee year. International debt choking the poor nations? That shit is unmothafuckinbiblical, you hear me?

And I do. He know how government elimination of the housing subsidy program will result in 8000 people in New York City losing their homes. I give him some Medellin, some Gutierrez. Some Cone. Some Matthew25, Micha 6. All about God’s prefernetial option for the poor, freedom for the oppressed.

And who are he oppressed? That’s right, the so-called Negro, the Latino, the...he continues on.

Wesley had awakened from behind his blanket screen. Wants me to call Project Reachout on his behalf. Saying they want to split up him and Antonia. I need to check that out. Check out what she wants.

George is moving in to an analysis of the current global situation. How the modern day Israelis and Israelis ar enoit he Biblical Hebrews. The Israelites of the Bible are multicultural, multiethnic, defined by mutal situation of oppression. That’s where God’s heart is.

I know where he’s going. where else, Iran. How its like 2003, falling into war, being sucked, dragged into it.

God, let’s hope not, I say.

Can’t do nothin’ about it, he says, what will be will be. We headed to the valley of decision, aka Armafuckingeddon. What will be, will be. It’s all going according to the plan.

So. He did go apocalyotic on me. I wonder what gets him out of his hard won apartment in the Bornx to sleep on these steps once a month. Maybe its just the conversation.